New specialty gift boutique, San Michele, opening on A Street

Mickey Thiel at her new store, San Michele, which she plans to open Tuesday.

For Mickey Thiel, her new business, San Michele, 357 A Street, represents a family homecoming of sorts. In the 1920s and '30s, Thiel's grandfather, Claude J. Slifer was projectionist and manager of the Colonial Theater down the street, showing silent films and booking vaudeville acts.

"We go way back in this town," she said.

Thiel is planning to her store Tuesday. Located where Paper Bag Princess was for years and years, it features sells jewelry made by Thiel and her friends, picture frames, clothes, cards, "irreverent magnets" and assorted other items.

Having worked 10 years around the corner at Lemon Meringue, Thiel has lots of experience in this sort of business, but has never done it for herself. "It's an itch I had to scratch," she said. "It's a wonderful creative outlet for me and my creative pals."

For more information, call 419-8730.

Rigby, Ammon named 'Best Cities for Young Families'

Rigby and Ammon have been identified on a list of “The Best Cities for Young Families” in Idaho by www.nerdwallet.com, a financial resources website.

Rigby came in second and Ammon was ranked fourth on a list of ten cities. A total of sixty-three Idaho cities were analyzed by the website in the process of creating the rankings.

The website analyzed three factors in determining which cities to add to the list:
1) Does the city have good public schools?
2) Can you afford to live there?
3) Is the city growing and prospering?

Nerd Wallet noted that Rigby county saw significant growth, with civilian employment increasing by 10.8 percent from 1996 to 2006. With regard to Ammon, the report said the city's population doubled between 2000 and 2010, with growth coming “so quickly because of its relatively low housing prices and proximity to Idaho Falls, the state’s largest city outside the Boise metro area.”

According to the website, Rigby has a median home value of $132,200, with a median household income of $45,089. Ammon has a median home value of $173,900, with a median household income of $55,617. Ammon received a high rating for the quality of its schools, and also showed an economic growth rate of 16.3 percent over the past decade.

For more information, see http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/2013/best-cities-idaho-young-families/.

Carl's Jr. opens third Idaho Falls restaurant

A juicy burger from Carl's Jr., now with three locations in Idaho Falls

In case you're wondering, Carl's Jr. has opened its third Idaho Falls restaurant, at West Broadway and Utah Avenue. It happened on Thursday. I had hoped to be ahead of the curve and have an opening date for my faithful readers, but there was a change at the CKE Enterprises office in California and my trusted source, Kelly Grieve, was no longer there. Alas, her successors were not as good about giving me up-to-the-minute intelligence. I only noticed today that the store had opened.

Win a few, lose a few. This is the third time, so the thrill isn't what it was two years ago when the first Carl's Jr. was opening on 17th Street. And in the fullness of time, a new fast-food hamburger restaurant counts for little in the world of breaking news.

Nevertheless, here it is: Idaho Falls Carl's Jr. No. 3. If you're in the mood, they're waiting for you.

Idaho Falls Sperry Van Ness office ranks in nation's top 20

Congratulations to the Idaho Falls office of Sperry Van Ness/High Desert Commercial, which placed 20th in the nation in sales through the end of August. Individually, adviser Randy Waters ranked ninth.

Founded in 2001, Sperry Van Ness International has 137 independently owned and operated franchise offices in 31 different states and the District of Columbia. It has 780 advisers across the country and is one of the largest and fastest growing commercial real estate brokerage franchisors in the industry, with more than 1,000 advisors and staff serving more than 150 markets.

 

The company was recently recognized as a “Top 10 Brand in Commercial Real Estate” by the annual 

Lipsey Company survey. Based in Irvine, Calif., the organization provides brokerage, tenant representation, consultation, asset management, property management, leasing, accelerated marketing and auction services.

 

Sperry Van Ness affiliates represent clients in billions of dollars annually in office, multi-family, retail, industrial, self-storage, hospitality and land transactions. For more information, visit www.svnhd.com .

New Dad's Travel Center plans Oct. 7 opening

Dad's Travel Center General Manager Kevin Bird outside the new store scheduled to open a week from Monday.

The new Dad's Travel Center at Hitt Road and North Yellowstone is scheduled to open Oct. 7.

The center has 16 gasoline/diesel pumps and two extra high-speed diesel pump, said Kevin Bird, general manager for Dad's. Located on 47 acres, there is a 3,250-square-foot convenience store.

Bird said the plan has been all along to build a travel center on Hitt Road. Dad's moved in to a smaller store in 2003 to get a feel for the location, and was ready to move five years ago when the economy went in the tank. With their 10-year lease due to expire and the economy improving, they finally decided last year to develop the land.

It has been a big project. Making room for the store, the pumps and the parking lot they moved 871 dump trucks of topsoil. Landscaping is due to take place next week before they open. When finished, there will be areas for picnicking.

In the store, they are offering Champ's chicken, a brand that started in Auxvasse, Mo., in 1999 and now has more than 500 locations in the United States. They will also have pizza by the slice, baked onsite, from a well-known take-and-bake operator. They will have Reed's Dairy ice cream by the scoop and also be an outlet for Reed's Dairy products.

The store and the pumps are all lit by LED lighting, which is more expensive but brighter and more cost-efficient over the long haul, Bird said.